Shanzhi, Taiwan

UFO Houses

The UFO houses, as they are called, were built about 30 years ago as a luxury resort in Taiwan. They have sat abandoned since then, the wind and rain slowly destroying the structures. Nobody knows for certain why they were abandoned. They now stand eerily grouped around pools with water slides and bridges. The UFO houses are not prized as indispensable to design and architecture, but they are incredibly fascinating. A designer definitely go see the resort. Firstly, the proposal to have people inhabit the UFO-like pods is an interesting concept in itself. Could it be plausible? How are the living quarters arranged in this untraditional structure? How is the structure designed? The pods are attached to central, concrete structures, but how are they held up? Who came up with the concept, who was the designer or architect? Apparently, the pods are fiberglass and as such inside they would be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. But as the pods were abandoned, we can’t know this for sure. How can they be redesigned to prevent that from happening? It would be quite impressive to go explore this at the actual sight, and to make educated conclusions about the UFO houses. The failure for this resort to be inhabited would also be important to consider. Yet, so few have actually seen the UFO houses. This unusual site would be ideal for a trip whose goal is to see what everyone is talking about.

by Anja M.